Trapped
by prolixius5
Summary: Unexpected encounter between two hurt souls, somewhere in the mountains... (an oldie I found in my archives; please forgive style and mistakes, no BR). Thanks a lot for R&R. Now COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**Trapped**

**Chapter 1**

Snow had covered the trees and fields with a soft, white blanket. Sparkling snowflakes had turned the countryside into a giant Christmas enchantment. She didn't want to close her eyes, because she wanted to enjoy this spectacular scenery. She was walking barefoot in the snow which started to fall at dawn. Barefoot? How come she didn't feel the biting cold on her feet.

She saw a snowy owl watching her from a high branch about twenty meters ahead of her. She stopped moving as she didn't want to scare the animal away. Its feathers had turned into an elegant white winter coat which made it difficult to spot against the snow.

She was dressed in white too. White duffel coat and ski trousers. But barefoot? She looked around, searching for a house or cabin, but there was no sign of civilization as far as the eye could see. She slowly progressed through the thick layer of snow, heading for the next hill. Perhaps she would find a village on the other side. What she wanted most was a hot glass of milk. And pastries!

By the position of the sun, she guessed it must have been early in the morning. Time for a substantial breakfast. How long had it been since she'd eaten her last meal? She couldn't tell but she was starving.

Suddenly a whisper came out of nowhere. It sounded like a human voice. No, more precisely, a human sigh. She looked everywhere around her, not daring to speak aloud, but hopeful, whoever it was, had a snow mobile. She hoped someone would come by to give her a lift to the nearest inhabited place. She desperately needed to eat. And find some shoes. Where the hell did she leave hers anyway?

She startled when she heard a little click. Was that the sound of a gun? Now she was getting scared. What if there was a hunter in the woods? What if she was mistaken for a prey? She crouched down behind a small heather bush, but was too tall to hide her whole body.

Why not call for help, and reveal her presence to whoever was out there? What if it was a dangerous criminal on the run? She tried to look over the vegetation, but she couldn't spot anyone. What if she was dreaming all this? No, she wasn't dreaming. She was starting to get cold, not because the snow was turning her feet into ice blocks. She was afraid.

Another metallic sound. Like keys being dropped on a table. Table? What table? In the woods? _Okay, girl, snap out of it. This is not a dream, it's a nightmare! And you're gonna wake up any time now. Okay? Right. Now get up. That's it. Open you eyes. Look around. The snow's gone. See? You were dreaming. And it's pitch dark._

She sighed silently.

She was awake. _What a weird dream!_

Yet the sounds were still there. She didn't dare to move. She held her breath. There was someone in her room. The curtains were not entirely closed and the faint moonlight allowed her to see a silhouette in the doorway. By the body shape, she guessed it was a man. A man! She grabbed the first thing she could put her hand on, the book she'd been reading earlier and flung it on the intruder. She heard a cry. She had hit the target!

She sat up and switched on the light. There he was, about 6'1", dark blond hair freely going down his neck. He was wearing a brown jacket, a pair of jeans and unlaced tennis shoes. He had just dropped his keys on the table - That was the metallic sound she'd heard! - and his travel bag on the floor.

"Ouch! Hey, what are-"

"What are you doing in my room?" she shouted, jumping from her bed and snatching one of her walking sticks, which happened to be the closest thing she could use as a weapon. She shook it at him, ready to hit.

He raised both hands in a surrender gesture.

"Don't! I just wanted to sleep."

"In my room?"

She tightened her grip on the stick.

"Hey, I just got here, the reception told me that this was the room they had booked for me. I couldn't open it with the key, so I tried the handle and it wasn't locked."

"I never lock myself in!"

"Yeah, but how could I have guessed there was already someone in here? I figured they had forgotten to lock it, that's all. I'm truly sorry. This is a misunderstanding. I'll go back down and ask for another room. I'm really sorry, Miss."

He started to retreat.

She lowered her improvised weapon.

"I'm... I'm sorry," she said in a shameful tone. "I thought... Whatever. Er... are you OK?" she asked, pointing at the bruise starting to turn red on his forehead.

He raised a hand to the place where the book hit him and rubbed gently.

"Yeah. I think so. What did you hit me with?"

He bent and picked up the book.

"_Lord of the Rings_. No wonder it hit me so hard!" he smiled and gave her the book.

"Thanks. I'm really sorry, but try to imagine yourself in my place. How would you have reacted?"

The man coughed once, and hoped he wasn't blushing.

"Er... I'd have been... " he was about to say 'flattered' - "I'd have been as surprised as you, I guess."

"I don't wanna be rude, Mr... "

"MacGyver."

"Tanya Giovanni... If you don't mind, I've had a hard day and I'd like to..."

MacGyver was sure he was blushing now. She was wearing silk pajamas that was showing just enough for him to guess she was quite sexy. But still, he was in a woman's bedroom at two in the morning, without having been invited in the first place.

"I'll get these back to the reception," he said grabbing the keys, "and ask for another room. Seems thirteen isn't my lucky number."

"What do you mean, thirteen? This is room eighteen."

He looked at the keys in his hands and checked the number on the door. Thirteen was the woman's room all right, the keys he held were marked eighteen. He suddenly found it hard to breathe properly and choked trying to find a valuable apology.

"I'm awfully embarrassed. I was sure... You see, I've asked this room each time I come here. And I ... Please, trust me, I didn't do this on purpose. I was..."

"Tired. As much as I am. What do you say we call it a day, or even better, a night, and go get some rest, both of us."

MacGyver retreated as if he faced a squadron ready to shoot him. He felt stupid, confused.

"Good night, Mr MacGyver."

"Er... Good night."

He walked backwards, closed the door gently and headed back to the reception.

Alone again. She put the book back on the night table and went to bed. She didn't switch off the light right away. She folded her arms under her head and thought about the intruder. She smiled.

_Well, Tanya, the fortune cookie you got last week was right. "The path to a new life may take you in unexpected directions." That much is certain. What an unexpected encounter! In the middle of the night! I wasn't prepared for that one, even if I find the man rather handsome, even cute. OK, forget it. You're not here to find a man. You're here to find yourself. Well, sort of. I wonder if he's gonna stay for a couple of days. If he just checked in, there is a good chance I'll see him at breakfast tomorrow. Forget it. Go back to sleep._

She switched off the light, a glimmer from the moon passing through the curtains. She tried to remember his face in the dark but fatigue took hold of her will. Gradually, she let herself slide in the sweet and warm abandon of sleep.

*/*/*

TBC

(Well, please tell me what you think. This is an oldie I found in my archives; as it's almost finished, I thought I'd post it as it is. No BR. Mistakes are all mine. Thanks for R&R)


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

A bird landed on the window edge and started to sing its summer song. The screeching was so loud that after a few minutes, Tanya was fully awake and went straight to the bathroom. After taking a long shower, she put on a white t-shirt, a light blue sweater, pure cotton socks, and a pair of comfortable jeans. Her walking shoes were put away next to her bed, but she chose a pair of sandals. She combed her long black hair and pulled it back into a ponytail. When she saw her reflection in the mirror, she decided to add a bit of blush to her cheeks and a touch of mascara. When she decided she was all set, she locked the door to her room and headed downstairs to breakfast.

The view from the reception was really stunning. The mountains all around had created the most perfect nest for the Carters' inn. The sun had painted the summits in a warm light which contrasted so much with the dark green forest that it looked like an emerald surrounded by gold. It was all the more breathtaking to look at the scenery's reflection in the lake at the bottom of the hill where the inn had been built. She looked at this relaxing landscape for a long moment, unable to take her eyes off it. When her stomach started to complain from lack of food, she headed for the small dining hall.

It was only seven. Only four other guests were already sharing their bacon and eggs, brown bread and large mugs of coffee. She usually never ate breakfast, except when she was on vacation. But today, she had decided to try the long Red Hike Path, the one that would take her most of the day to complete, with a lot of difficulties. She took a tray from the counter and put a bit of everything the buffet was offering on her plate. The landlord, Mrs. Carter, a sixty-year-old lady who only looked like forty, was smiling at her.

"Good morning, Ms Giovanni. Shall I prepare your glass of milk?"

"Yes, please." Tanya smiled back.

Tanya had arrived two days ago and she already felt like she had spent a lot longer in this quiet and relaxing place. The inn was taking special care of all guests as if they were Carter's relatives. She greeted the guests present and sat by a window with a view on the lake. A brief moment later, Mrs. Carter brought her a hot pot of milk. She looked at Tanya's plate.

"I see you've developed quite an appetite this morning."

"Always when I'm on vacation."

"What have you planned today?"

"I think I'll try the east path today, the red one. What do you think? The weather is gorgeous. "

"You're absolutely right. And there are some nice viewpoints up there. Perfect for pictures."

"Too bad I don't have my camera; it's under repair."

"Too bad indeed."

"It means I'll have to come back another time, I guess." Tanya stated with a smile.

"What a great idea! I'll leave you now. Enjoy your breakfast."

Mrs. Carter headed back to the kitchen.

Tessa started to eat her breakfast, savoring each bite, observing the nature through the window. The sky was clear and it looked like the temperatures were going to reach new records. She couldn't help but think of all she had gone through over the last few months, the drama, the inner questioning and the fatigue, all of which had taken hold of her body and mind. She smiled at the idea that crossed her mind , thinking she could actually retire and run a Giovanni Inn somewhere in a place like this one.

"Good morning."

She recognized the voice at her left. He had been standing there for a few minutes perhaps, moving without a sound. She startled just a little and turned her head to greet him back.

"Good morning."

"I want to apologize again for the intrusion last night. Did you sleep well?"

"Actually... yes."

She looked at him and saw he was still embarrassed by the misunderstanding. Without a second thought, she showed him the chair in front of her.

"Would you like to have breakfast with me?"

"I don't wanna intrude anymore."

"Please. You're not intruding, not today." she said, stretching her lips in a discreet smile.

He lowered his eyes for a second and looked at her again almost immediately.

"Thanks. I'll get a plate."

He headed to the buffet and came back with a plate covered with the same goodies she'd taken earlier.

"No morning coffee?" She asked when she saw his empty cup.

"No. I'm not a big fan of it."

Mrs. Carter almost immediately appeared with another pot of hot milk.

"Here you go, Mr. MacGyver. Enjoy." Sending him a knowing smile.

When she was gone, MacGyver poured himself a large cup of milk and drank half of it in several long gulps.

"What was she smiling about?" Tanya asked.

"I had to tell her what happened last night, about my stupid mistake."

"Oh." _I wonder how he explained it, _she thought.

"She's a very nice lady, you know."

"Yeah, I think she is."

"Is this your first trip here?"

"Yes. What about you?" she asked before swallowing a large piece of bacon.

"I've been coming here every summer for the last three years. It was high time I took regular vacations."

"What do you do for a living... if I may ask, of course?"

"I'm... actually I work for a Foundation."

"What kind of Foundation? Research? Humanitarian?"

"Let's say a bit of both... and a bit more. It's kinda complicated."

"I see."

"What about you?"

"I'm a teacher."

"What grade do you teach?"

"Small kids. First grade. I used to teach to older ones but I decided to stepped down."

"Tough guys, huh?"

"Yeah, you could say that."

"Yeah, I figured. Teenagers are sometimes hard to manage. They think they know everything and they sometimes develop an attitude."

"You seem to know a lot about them. Do you have kids of your own?"

"No, but I used to manage teenagers in special rehabilitation programs. Tough little guys!"

"You said you were working for a Foundation. Is this part of its attributions? Teenager programs?"

"Sort of. The Foundation is involved in a lot of various activities."

They ate in silence for a moment. She didn't dare to look at him yet she sensed he was observing her. Suddenly, silence grew uncomfortable between them.

"What are you..." They started to ask at the same time.

"You go first." MacGyver said.

"What are you doing today?" she asked with a smile.

_He's so cute when he's blushing_. And thinking that, she feared to be blushing too.

"I think I'll just walk around the lake. I'm too tired to plan anything else today. What about you?"

"I planned to try the Red Path."

"Oh... tough one!"

"Yeah. So I read in the brochure at the reception desk. Just what I need."

"What do you mean?" he frowned.

She remained silent for a moment. She didn't want to tell him about the rage she felt inside; about how she felt like screaming sometimes. The way she had reacted the night before was shameful enough.

"Er... let's say this is my "beyond-your-limit' trip. I mean... there's something I gotta prove to myself... I guess I'm not making any sense, right?"

MacGyver smiled a charming smile. Suddenly she couldn't take her eyes off him.

"I understand perfectly." he said in a very calm voice. For a few seconds, the world ceased to exist around them. They were lost in each other's eyes, in a mutual agreement that they had both experienced tough times.

Before she felt too embarrassed, she grabbed her glass and drank the rest of the milk.

"I'd better go before it's too hot. I wanna reach the top of the hill before noon."

As she stood up and snatched her sweater from the chair next to hers, he raised and almost extended a hand to say goodbye. He felt ridiculous and smiled at her.

"Have a great time and..."

"You too."

"Well... see you tonight?"

"Sure."

She stood still for a moment, savoring a presence she felt reassuring, as if she wanted to add something. Finally she left the room, followed by a pair of smiling eyes.

(TBC)


	3. Chapter 3

Hi, here is the 3rd chapter... Hope you'll like it. Thanks so much to Smiffy11052 for faithful visits ^_^!

*.*.*.*.*.

**Chapter 3**

MacGyver went back to his room, still feeling a bit embarrassed. But the sensation prevailing was a wave of emptiness. Something in the woman's attitude showed strength and determination, but also a fragility that reminded him of Jennifer when he had taken care of her and guided her to the Challenger's club. Though this was a completely different situation, he felt as if destiny had guided him in the most peculiar way on the path of Tanya. Perhaps he had a new mission to accomplish. Somehow, he was sure by now she was hiding something, not necessarily something bad or illegal, but he had seen the pain mixed with rage sparkling from her big, brown eyes.

While he changed shoes to get ready for his morning walk, he smiled to himself at the idea that popped in his mind. That he would be counting the hours until he met her again in the evening.

...

Tanya sat for a moment on the chair in the balcony, savoring the landscape that laid before her. The mountain was calling her all right, but right now she would have preferred to remain in the inn and talk some more with that man who seemed rather sure of himself.

_C'mon, girl, snap out of it! Go get some fresh air, that's what you're here for. So let's go._

She changed shoes, grabbed a little back pack containing a bottle of water, some chocolate, the lunch box which Mrs. Carter had prepared for her, and her book. When she read the book cover, she smiled, thinking that this book she had been taking everywhere may have been the ideal hook to catch a...

_Hey, forget it. You're dreaming again, lady. He may not be your type._

_So why did he look at you with such insistence then?_

_Maybe he's just a lady's man and tries that little game with all the chicks he encounters._

_Nah.. I don't think so._

_Whatever! Stop building stories and get ready._

She closed the door to her room and headed outside.

Mrs. Carter waved her goodbye.

"Have a great day", the tenant said from behind the reception counter where she was filing a few papers.

Tanya waved back at her.

"I will."

...

The Path wasn't that hard after all. Of course, she had been hiking on regular occasions for the past ten months now, always choosing the most difficult ones described on the tourist brochures. This one was no exception; the only difference was that it was the first time she wished for some company.

Around noon, she picked a flat rock under a tree and settled for lunch. The tree offered a large shadow where she could avoid the hot sun's rays. Before biting in her sandwich, she took several long gulps of water. She sighed deeply, and couldn't help but thinking about the event that had brought her here.

Civilization was not far behind, yet she wanted to see nothing but nature all around her. For a moment, she wanted to forget and closed her eyes, trying to chase away the image that popped into her mind.

The body of a girl... the screams... the blood... her pain. Her guilt.

When she opened her eyes again, she spoke aloud to herself.

"I'm not responsible. There was nothing I could do."

She tried to repeat that several time silently in the turmoil of her thoughts. She took a deep breath and unwrapped her sandwich.

A bird perched on a branch right above what she was sitting, watching carefully, as if waiting for some crusts to feast on. She saw it and took a piece of bread from her sandwich and threw it in front of her. Immediately the bird flew down and, after a short moment of hesitation, took the bread and ate it on the ground.

"You're not afraid of me, little guy, huh? Want some more?"

She took another piece and extended a hand to see if the bird would come closer and take it from her. The bird jumped towards her and stopped at about two meters. She held completely still and breathed slowly. The animal hesitated, looked around, stepped a bit closer to the offering hand. Finally it hopped until it could touch the food. Hesitated again and grabbed the piece of bread before flying away to a high branch to savor its feast.

She took a deep breath.

_At last, some little one that trusts me enough_, she thought. _That's a start. Perhaps I could learn to trust again like this one did. Perhaps..._

She remembered MacGyver's eyes and felt she could trust him, even if she didn't know where this secure feeling came from. _He looks so calm and, despite the wrong key story, quite sure of himself._

The afternoon was hot and she decided to head back for the inn. The way back took her longer than expected, but the area was so beautiful that she stopped several times to take in all the good memories she could for later. The Path was indeed rather tough for casual hikers. Yet, as she had been hiking for years, it was no tough challenge for her, even when the way down would have seemed far more dangerous at some places to a beginner. It took her more than two hours before she could see the inn again.

That's the moment she regretted most to be deprived of her beloved Nikon.

When she entered the reception desk, she was exhausted. The only thing she now wished was to lie in a hot bath and soak for a well-deserved moment of relaxation. She took her key from the wall next to the desk and went upstairs. Before opening the door, she looked at her key and frowned. _Was he really mistaken? Of course, how could he have known I was there?_

Once she got rid of her clothes, she filled the bath with hot water and added some lavender salts. After about thirty minutes, she dried herself and relaxed, lying on top of the sheets, with her eyes closed, trying to concentrate on all the images she had collected during the day. The clear skies, the mountain, the bird. She fell asleep.

She woke up with the sound of a child giggling in the park. Her watch told her it was time to get ready for dinner. She carefully went through her clothes hanging in the wardrobe and picked up a little black dress. She combed her hair and let them float freely down her shoulders. A pair of high-heeled shoes completed the elegant look. When she was ready to go down, she paused and looked at her image in the wardrobe mirror and smiled. _Why did I pack this dress? I was supposed to walk and enjoy the wild, not to go on a hunting trip. Okay, "hunting" is not really the right term, but ... well, why did you dress up then? You know he's gonna be downstairs, you said "see you tonight" when leaving this morning, right? Right. Whatever! I need this. And it makes me feel good to be looked at with such eyes. I'm not hunting. I'm being myself again. Taking care of my appearance. What's wrong with that, huh?_

She was questioning her reflection but got no answer. Deciding to skip her usual make up, Tanya gave her hair a final adjustment and headed down.

...

When she entered the restaurant, she immediately saw him sitting next to the same window as in the morning. He was dressed in a plain white shirt and dark blue pants. When he saw her, he stood up and stretched his lips in a contained smile.

She walked to him and extended a hand. They both felt bizarre while shaking hands. Somehow the warmth of the contact made them hold hands longer than it was necessary.

She broke contact first and sat down in front of him before he sat too.

"Did you have a nice day?" he asked.

"Just great! The area is so gorgeous. I'm really disappointed I didn't have my camera."

"This means you'll have to come again another time, right?"

She smiled at that.

"That's exactly what Mrs. Carter told me this morning." she laughed.

…

After they shared dinner over a plate of smoked salmon, they headed outside to get some fresh air.

The garden was a relaxing place and they sat on a stone bank out of sight from the entrance of the inn's back door.

Tanya was staring at the full moon. MacGyver was staring at Tanya. They were savoring the moment together, in silence.

"I wonder... did they really make it up there?" she suddenly asked in a whisper.

"What do you mean?" MacGyver replied without taking his eyes off her.

"To the moon. Did they really walk up there?"

"If not, it surely made many men dream.

"Yeah... sure."

They remained silent for a little while. Tanya turned her head to face MacGyver and smiled.

"What places have you traveled?"

MacGyver smiled and looked in front of him, not staring at anything in particular, remembering all the places he had gone and all the adventures he had lived.

"Let's say I've seen more than I would've expected when I was young."

"How so?"

"You know, I wanted to be a professional hockey player and then... well, let's say I had an unfortunate accident which drove me to another direction. All in all, while working for the Foundation, I've been assigned to many missions in so many countries that I stopped counting a long time ago."

"Must have been fascinating."

"Yeah... though sometimes, I hardly made it back."

"Huh? Tell me about it... That is... if you don't mind."

"Not at all. It's just that... it could take a long while to list them all and..."

"We've got plenty of time, right?" she said, as she put her arms around her body, slightly shivering.

MacGyver regretted he didn't put a jacket on, which he could have offered her. He stood up.

"Shall we go back inside and get a warm drink?"

"Sure. It's getting chilly all of a sudden."

She stood up and took the hand he was offering. They walked back to the inn hand in hand.

When they passed by the reception desk, Mrs. Carter greeted them happily.

"Shall I offer you a late evening drink?"

"Could we have some tea?" Tanya asked as she let go of MacGyver's hand, blushing a little.

_Why do I feel like a teenager?_ She thought.

"What about some red wine?" Mrs. Carter replied. "I still have some of that delicious St Emilion which my brother brought me from France when he came back last year."

MacGyver looked at Tanya who nodded.

"What a good idea. You will join me, won't you?"

"Er... I don't...", MacGyver hesitated.

"Please." Tanya almost begged with a little smile.

MacGyver wanted to decline, because he had never drunk alcohol, that is, until... Well until the year before, when a very good and close friend had been killed in front of him. Even though he was not responsible for the tragedy, it had taken him weeks to overcome the guilt feeling and one night, in a moment of particular despair, Jack Dalton had come to his place and offered him a glass of the whiskey he had brought. At first, Mac had refused of course, but Jack has insisted, seeing his friend on the verge of a nervous collapse after the drama. Mac has accepted to take only a small shot of it, then another one, until the pain in his heart faded away while his thoughts became diluted in the liquid. The next morning, he had been sick like a dog and had promised himself he would never touched the stuff again.

And tonight, here he was, in good company, he didn't want to repeat the experience another time, but then again, he thought a good red wine wouldn't be as harmful, not as pure whiskey. So, he reluctantly accepted.

"Okay, why not." he replied, suddenly unable to resist Tanya's plea. He promised himself he wouldn't fall again so soon, even if she looked like someone he could trust implicitly.

"Just make yourself comfortable in the little _salon_. I'll be just a minute." The landlord said as she headed for the cellar.

MacGyver walked Tanya in front of the chimney. The little room was cozy. There were a couple of oil paintings on the walls representing seaside landscapes, which contrasted with the environment outside. Tanya sat on the armchair facing the chimney and MacGyver sat on the seat next to her, with his back to the door.

A short while after, Mrs. Carter came back with a bottle and two glasses, which she put on the rest table in front of them. She swiftly opened the bottle and poured the wine in a glass she offered to MacGyver.

"Er... Thanks. But I'm not really an expert."

"Never mind. Let the wine talk to you. You'll see. This one makes miracles," Mrs. Carter said with a wink.

MacGyver took a sip and nodded. When she had filled both glasses, Mrs. Carter turned and started to prepare the wood and paper for a fire. After a couple of minutes, the warm light started to bathe the little room with a soft and reassuring glow and she stepped out without another word.

Tanya was now staring at her glass and the light shining through from the fire in front of them.

She raised her glass to MacGyver.

"To..." she was searching for a proper thing to say in this particular instance.

"To nature."

"Yes. To nature. And... good company." she smiled.

They drank and put their glasses back on the table simultaneously.

"So? Which countries have you visited, Mr. MacGyver."

"Please, call me Mac."

"Okay, Mac."

"Let's say the only places I haven't visited are the poles and... the moon." he laughed.

She laughed too.

"What about you?" he asked, already feeling more comfortable because of the fire warmth and, perhaps, the wine.

"Oh... I've been to Italy once. That was a long time ago."

"Italy?"

"Yeah. My father was born there, in Sicily more precisely."

"Oh, I see."

"He moved to the United States with his parents when he was only four. When I was ten, he took me and my mom to Catania, to visit his place of origin…in some sort of a pilgrimage. It's such a beautiful place. We even climbed on Mount Etna."

"It erupted a few years ago again."

"Yes, it did. This volcano is rather predictable and its lava flows very slowly. During our trip to the top, we saw a house almost completely covered with solidified lava. It was an amazing sight: the inhabitants had enough time to take everything away before the lava reached the house, including the window and door frames. Only the walls remained."

"They were lucky. They didn't have that luck in Pompei."

They smiled at that and reached for their glasses, again at the same time, and smiled again.

"I'm fascinated by volcanoes, " she went on, "they are such a vivid illustration of what nature is capable of. So much violence and also such silent power sometimes. Take the Stromboli for example... this one explodes and projects huge blocks of stones at a far distance in to the sea. And the one in Indonesia, Anak Krakatoa, _the son of Krakatoa_, as they call it, might erupt one day, just like it did in 1883, which completely destroyed the island and projected so much eruptive material into the atmosphere that people in London experienced amazing sunsets."

"You seem to know quite a bit about volcanoes." MacGyver said.

"I love them. I should have been a vulcanologist, and not a teacher."

"You could certainly could teach about vulcanology." he teased her.

"I don't think so. Teaching now belongs to my past career."

"What are you planning to do next?"

"I...er... I don't know yet."

MacGyver poured some more wine in her glass. He was starting to enjoy his drink more than he ever thought possible. Tanya was obviously enjoying hers.

"How long are you staying here?" she asked after she drank a long sip.

"I don't know. In the beginning, I was supposed to stay here for just a few days, but … let's say I feel like I need a longer vacation this time."

She frowned and looked at him. She suddenly saw lassitude in his eyes and something else she couldn't describe.

"I see." she replied, and immediately felt the answer was wrong. She wanted to tell him "_let's stay here for as long as we need, no matter what the world outside expects from us._" But of course, the thought never passed her lips. Instead, she tried to sound determined when replying:

"Let's enjoy the moment." which she thought sounded as stupid or commonplace as the thought she'd kept unspoken.

MacGyver shifted position in his armchair, as if suddenly feeling very uncomfortable; he stood and went to the fireplace to put another log on the fire. But instead of returning to his place, he walked to her and looked down at her face. Her cheeks had turned a little red and he wondered if this was to put on account of the fire, or the wine, or...

She looked up at him and stood up in front of him. He felt like perhaps he had made her uneasy and was about to leave. What he didn't expect happened in a second. She put her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thanks." she whispered.

"What for?" he whispered back.

"For making me feel good again. I haven't felt so relaxed in ages."

"You're welcome." his voice was just a soft whisper on her cheek and without warning, their lips met in a soft kiss. Their mouths were caressing, eyes closed, heart beats against one another.

When they parted, she kept her eyes closed, as if to imprint this moment in her soul. As she finally opened her eyes, she saw his smiling, gently, and noticed he was wearing lenses. She captured the details of his face, the gentleness of his mouth, the color of his hair.

_No! Stop! You shouldn't! Tanya, get away before it's too late._

She lowered her eyes to the fire.

"I'm sorry." she whispered faintly.

"'I'm not."

She sat down again and looked at him. "I shouldn't have done this."

"But you did. And I'm glad you did."

"It's just that..."

"Don't try to explain. Just let go. We're here to share a good moment together. It just happened that for a brief moment, we needed more. Don't worry. I'm not that kinda guy."

"I know… I guess I know. It's just that it felt so right, for a moment."

She was now breathing heavily, seemingly fighting a bad memory. Mac knelt beside her and took her hand. "Don't push it, Tanya. I don't know what happened. You'll tell me only if and when you want to. If I can be of any help, you're the one to decide if and when."

She looked at him and wanted to kiss him again and say "_thanks_". But she couldn't speak, as the memories were invading her thoughts.

"You know, I've come to the conclusion that nothing happens by chance. I was supposed to come last week and leave two days ago. We could have never met. And I swear again I didn't mistake the key on purpose."

She smiled.

"Let's accept the fact that we met by accident," he said, gently rubbing his forehead.

She relaxed a bit more and smiled widely.

"I'm so sorry 'bout that."

"Don't. May I ask you a favor?"

"Sure."

"Can I borrow that book? I never read it."

"It's a big one, how fast can you read? You won't have finished reading it before you leave."

"Who said I was going to leave?"

"Er... you never told me how long you'll stay here."

"It doesn't matter. That'll be a good opportunity to see you again when I'm done reading it."

"You don't even know where I'll be going after leaving this place. Perhaps we won't meet each other again, ever."

"Wanna bet?"

He took the glass from her hand, put it on the table, leaned towards her and pressed his lips against hers with gentleness. This time, she felt no resistance and kissed him back with a new passion she hadn't felt in a long time. She let her hands get a grip of Mac's shirt and caress his back while his hands were wrapped around her like a protective armor. She felt good. More than good. She felt safe.

After what seemed like a long time, they parted from each other.

"What do you say we go hiking together tomorrow?" he asked in a low and gentle voice.

"Hmm... I'd love that." she whispered softly, her face gently pressed against his chest.

"We'd better get some sleep then," he took her face in his hands and forced her to look at him, "tomorrow might be a long day."

"Yeah." she sighed, not willing to move an inch though.

"Okay?"

"Yeah."

She finally stretched her shoulders a bit? She emptied her glass before heading upstairs. The bottle wasn't empty but their hearts were full of everything they needed right now. Peace of mind. Friendship. Perhaps a bit more? Whatever. They climbed the stairs hand in hand and when they reached her door, he kissed her hand, slowly, tenderly.

"Sleep tight, Tanya."

"You too, Mac."

He remained still, unable to move. She didn't want to move either. They stood there, in front of her bedroom door.

"Sweet dreams," he finally whispered softly in her ear before heading to his own room.

She opened the door. Looked at her face in the mirror. Smiled. Stretched on her bed without even taking off her dress. And fell asleep within seconds.

(tbc)

_A/N : I know, blame it on me, Mac is slightly OOC (cfr the wine) but something I'll explain later made him have a little taste of alcohol, something more dramatic than ever. Forgive me, but I needed this for a next chapter._


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

She had been waiting at their breakfast table for about an hour and began to get worried when he didn't show up.

Mrs. Carter had brought two pots of warm milk and had left with a content smile.

Tanya finished eating her breakfast and decided to check on Mac. She went upstairs and gently knocked on his door. After a little while, she knocked again, this time a bit harder. They had planned to spend the day together and, from what she had sensed the night before, she doubted he had decided to let her down.

When he opened the door, she was relieved yet concerned when she saw his face. He looked feverish and his eyes no longer had that sparkling magic she had lost herself into the night before.

"Oh, hi Tanya." His voice was hoarse.

"Are you okay?"

"I shouldn't have drunk that wine last night. I told you I'm not used to it. I spent the whole night with a terrible headache and I haven't slept much. I'm sorry I missed our breakfast."

"Don't worry. I thought perhaps … you had changed your mind about our trip today."

"No I didn't. But I really don't feel good."

"Indeed, you look pale. Are you sure it's just the wine?"

He raised a hand to his forehead; he was sweating.

"I think I've got a fever too. Don't know how I caught this. I was okay last night."

"Perhaps you should stay here and rest. Even stay in bed?"

"But our trip..."

"Don't worry. We can make it another day, can't we? From what I can see, I don't think it's wise to stroll out there and feel worse. Is there anything I can do?"

Mac was breathing heavily, and trying to keep his balance as his head swarmed dizzily.

"No... thanks... I think I'll... I should stay and rest, as you said."

"Sure."

"But don't stay behind, just go and enjoy yourself out there. You'll tell me all about it tonight, all right? But no wine this time, okay?"

She smiled and wanted to hug him, make him feel better, but he looked like he could use more than her presence to make him feel all right.

"Perhaps you should call a doctor? You really look sick."

"No, it's gonna be okay. Don't worry. Just go and enjoy the day. And promise me you'll be careful."

"Sure. What could happen in such a nice place, huh?"

He tried to smile but, even though he put his best intention to it, he didn't look convincing.

"You're right. But be careful anyway."

"I will, Sir." she replied, saluting him solemnly and immediately after she put a sweet kiss on his cheek.

She felt the fever and got a bit worried again.

"I'll inform Mrs. Carter and tell her to check on you, just in case, okay?"

" 'Kay." His voice was not as assured as usual. "Hey, I'm really sorry to let you down."

"You're not letting me down, Mac, you're feverish. And I'm not thinking you're making an excuse. Don't worry. Just relax and get some sleep."

"I will." He looked at her gently. "Thanks."

"What for?"

"For..."_Geez I feel stupid-_, he thought. ". Just thanks."

He felt another wave of dizziness.

"Are you really sure you don't want me to stay here with you?"

"Certain. You've come here to get some fresh air and relax. So go and do just that. I'll be fine."

"Okay. See you tonight then."

"Yep."

She went back to her room and got dressed for the trip. Before she left the inn, she informed Mrs. Carter of Mac's status and asked her to check on him once in a while.

...

The temperatures had dropped a few degrees and Tanya enjoyed the first part of her walk to the tree spot where she had eaten the day before. The bird didn't come to visit her this time. After she had lunch, she decided to take a different route than the one she had planned in the morning.

... ... ...

An eerie silence had descended over the woods, making Tanya feel like she was the only living thing around.

_I should have stayed at the inn. I should have watched over him. Instead of being trapped here... Geez, it hurts... I wish he were there to help. Funny, huh? The only person I wish to see right now is him. Am I falling in love with that guy? What about it? Do I deserve a little happiness after what I've been through? For sure. And the doctor said I should think about my well-being first. That's what I've been trying to do for the last eight months. And now that I think I found a new reason for being happy... look at me... here I am, feeling stupid, and lost, and ... gosh it hurts... I wish I could move. I'm exhausted... thirsty, and... Please somebody help me. Help!_

She cried out loud again, and called several times, but there was no one around to answer.

She had decided to take another path and had walked deep into the woods to admire the beauty of nature. She had climbed steep slopes and wished she had taken her walking sticks along this time. She could only use her hands to help her up the rocks and progress to the top of the hill on which she had set her sights on.

The more she climbed up, the more nature offered splendid views of the valley below. She could still see the inn, glinting like a tiny jewel between the branches. It had rained the night before and sometimes she slid a few steps down before finding her balance again and resuming her climb. She had to stop several times to catch her breath, and each time she thought about Mac, wishing he had been feeling good enough to come along, or (that) she had remained down there with him.

Her thoughts were occupied with him only, and progressively, she forgot to pay attention to the environment and the best places to put her feet.

That's when it happened.

A little multi-colored snake had emerged from a crack in the rock she had grabbed to keep her balance and hissed quietly to inform the intruder it had been disturbed. The sudden vision had startled Tanya and she had let go of the rock. Unfortunately, she had not secured her grip and her foot slid on a muddy slope. Unable to grab anything else close to the rock where the snake was, she lost her balance and fallen several meters down the wet slope. Her fall had stopped brutally when her right foot got stuck between some roots and her ankle paid the price of being her anchor. She had shouted so hard that it had echoed throughout the forest.

After a few minutes of lying motionless to catch her breath, she sat up painfully and tried to evaluate the damage. Her foot was stuck between a root and a rock - _between a rock and a hard place_, she thought ironically- and there was no way she could free it because of the pain each tiny movement generated throughout her body.

Unable to move, she decided to take a rest and wait for the pain to decrease before making another attempt. Minutes had gone by. Then an hour. Then two. It felt like her foot was wet and for a moment she thought that perhaps it had nothing to do with the humidity of the ground. What if she had an open fracture? How would she be able to walk back down the valley? Would someone be able to locate her soon?

The sun's rays gently caressed her face, forcing its way between leaves. She fell into an exhausted sleep.

...

When she woke up after what could have been hours, she felt damp all over her body and cursed when she understood it had started to rain. Not a hard rain, but enough to get soaked in a matter of minutes.

...

Mac had been sleeping all morning. When he woke up soaked with sweat, he painfully walked to the bathroom and took a long shower. After that, he felt a bit better and decided to go down to ask Mrs. Carter for a bite to eat and warm milk.

Then he went back to his room and tried to sleep some more, eager to feel better before Tanya's return.

At six in the evening, he woke up with a start and tried to chase away the bad dream he'd just had. Tanya was tied in ropes in the middle of a desert and crying for help, reaching out to try and take his hands, but he was blind-folded and could not find her. The only thing he could perceive was the echo of her voice, calling out for him.

When he woke up, he felt so strange that he immediately went down and ask Mrs. Carter whether Tanya had returned from her trip.

"No, I haven't seen her yet," the lady replied.

As she saw Mac frowning anxiously, she went on.

"Don't worry, I have a feeling she's a good hiker, she probably found a shelter and is waiting until the rain stops."

That's when Mac noticed it was raining. His face turned a bit pale.

"I gotta go and find her."

"But you can't go outside like this; look at you, you don't look too good, you know."

"I don't care. I... Something happened. I need to go."

Mrs. Carter called the gardener. A man in his fifties, shorter than Mac and very thin, came in and greeted them.

"Yes, Mrs. Carter?" he inquired.

"Would you please accompany Mr. MacGyver on his errand. It seems one of our guests, Ms. Giovanni, hasn't returned from her trip today, and Mr. MacGyver is a bit worried something may have happened to her. It's getting dark. Take the flashlights and try to find her, will you?"

"Certainly. Do you have any idea where she went?"

"No, Gus."

"I don't like the sound of that," MacGyver mumbled.

He wasn't sure what was going on, but a gut feeling told him that something bad had happened. Was he being put to the test? Had he really fallen for her, despite a strong reflex not to get involved? Yet, even if he tried hard, he could only focus on Tanya's face, her smile and he sensed deep in his heart a sudden feeling of emptiness.

"Let's go," he stated in a clear voice, suddenly sounding more determined than ever.

...

After an hour, Mac and Gus had only checked the lake's immediate surroundings, eliminating the possibility that Tanya had taken the same route as the day before. Feeling at a loss, he looked up and scrutinized the top of the hills all around, trying to guess which place might have attracted her today. He finally settled on a steep slope to the east, and they began making their way there. From time to time, Mac called out her name and waited, hoping to hear her responding.

Although the rain had stopped, they progressed slowly, as the field was slippery. All of a sudden Gus stopped and knelt to examine something on the ground.

"What have you found?" Mac asked with anxiety.

"Just footprints. See? Here, someone tried to climb and slipped."

Mac looked at the traces in the mud with apprehension. If it was Tanya's footprints, she didn't fall any further, because they would have found her on their way up. He took the direction from there and started to climb up the hill, accelerating his pace and calling out her name more regularly. The flashlights were projecting bright spots on everything they encountered but, so far, nothing indicated that had succeeded in their rescue mission.

For Mac, this was looking more and more like a rescue mission, even if he couldn't really explain why. The more they advanced into the darkness, the more he felt she was in danger.

"TANYA!" he shouted, beginning to feel more and more anxious.

He froze and put an arm on Gus's to silence him.

"Listen!"

Ahead of them... Faint... but ... real...

"Did you hear that?" he asked Gus.

"Yes, sir, I did. Sounds like it's coming from there," Gus answered, pointing in a direction ahead of them.

"C'mon, hurry!" Mac started to walk as fast as he could. "TANYA!" he shouted.

He didn't stop to listen to the response, almost sure now that she was there, waiting for him, stuck for whatever reason. His heartbeat accelerated and his feet seemed to float above ground. He had forgotten about his fever. Nothing mattered more to him right now than climbing.

Suddenly, the light of his lamp torch caught something pale. He ran. And heard her voice.

"Tanya!" he knelt beside her. She looked terrible, her hair all wet, mud on her face, pain in her eyes. "What happened? I was worried sick."

"I...I fell. I think I broke my ankle," she said in an almost inaudible voice. She coughed a couple of times and let her head rest on his lap.

"It's OK. You're gonna be OK. Gus, help me. Her foot is stuck in there."

Gus approached his lamp, tried to put it against a rock nearby to enlighten the area, so both his hands were free to operate. He took a pruning shears from his trousers pocket and started to try and shred the branches around Tanya's ankle with precaution.

Mac looked at him in surprise.

"Good thing you did carry this with you. How come anyway?" he suddenly asked, a bit suspicious.

"I'm always busy in the garden, looking for twigs to cut and bushes to clean. I never part with this one. It's my favorite," he replied, while he was almost done with his task, "my father gave it to me when I started to work as a gardener and I never parted with it. Kinda good luck charm. I know, sounds silly... Here, I'm done."

Tanya tried to move her leg and shouted.

"Ouch! I can't. It hurts too much. Mac, I don't think I'll be able to walk."

"Don't worry, I'll think of something."

He carefully examined her leg. The lower part of her pants had been torn and he could see the skin of her leg. Thankfully there were no major cuts. It looked like her ankle had taken the hardest blow. He quickly looked around him and asked Gus to take his place, so that Tanya could rest on his lap.

"Where are you going?" she asked, worrying when she couldn't see him.

"I'm right here."

She heart a few cracks and a little while later he was back with two thin branches. He took his belt off and made a makeshift splint with the two branches around her leg to immobilize it. After he was done, both men helped her to stand up.

"How do you feel?"

"A little better, now that I can stand up. Hey, that was quick medicine, boy scout!" she tried to; even if her face was ravaged by the pain she had endured during the last hours.

"Yeah. I know." He smiled widely. "Do you feel up to the walk back to the inn?"

She secured her arms on both men's shoulders.

"Yeah, I think so."

"Let's go then. When we get back, you'll need to see a doctor."

The way back was slow and arduous, but they made it in less than an hour, stopping only to enable Tanya to catch her breath. Her pain was obvious but she tried all she could to hide most of it. Each time she felt a wave of pain rising she would squeeze Mac's shoulder a bit harder, eliciting an encouraging smile from him. She had a feeling he would carry her the whole trip back, and not only her body. This sensation was somehow sweet to her. She had been relying on herself only for so long that she had forgotten how to trust anyone else. For the first time in a long time, she wanted to trust someone again. And this someone was the tall guy next to her.

When they reached the inn at last, Mrs. Carter called the hospital to inform them a young woman was being taken to the emergency room. Mac helped her to his jeep and drove to the hospital as fast as he could.

...

"Are you okay?" he asked, briefly turning his head to face her, as she was dozing off next to him.

"Yeah. A bit tired, that's all."

"What about the pain?"

"It's OK now. I just feel an irrepressible need to sleep for hours."

She had been taken care of as soon as they had reached the hospital. X-rays had revealed she had a minor fracture. She had been given sedatives before they put a cast on her lower leg. She had been kept in observation for an extra hour to make sure no other trauma would be revealed after her adventure in the woods. Except for the broken bone, nothing else was reported and she had been released with a prescription of painkillers.

"So much for your hiking vacation. Do you plan to get back home?" Mac asked, secretly hoping the answer would be no.

"I don't think so. I came here to relax and forget about ... just relax," she corrected. "So I'll relax a hundred percent now. Anyway, what about my car?"

"There's always solution for that. I can ask a friend of mine to come and pick it up."

"What about you? When are you supposed to leave?"

"Let's say I may as well ask for an extension." Mac said, stretching his lips in a wide smile.

She smiled at this and closed her eyes. After a few miles, Mac briefly glanced at her and saw the slow and regular movement of her chest, indicating she was asleep.

When they reached the inn, he gently touched her shoulder to wake her up.

"Tanya," he whispered, "Tanya, we've arrived."

"Mmm.. where?" she said in a blur.

"The inn. C'mon, I'll help you out."

He stepped out of the jeep, quickly walked around the vehicle and opened the passenger door. She took the hand he was offering to step out and they walked inside the inn.

They didn't see the pair of eyes that were staring at them, carefully hidden behind a tree, not willing to miss any moment of the scene. When they went into the building, there was an ironic smile and a thought "_Just peachy, it's always easier when your prey isn't able to run anymore._"

"Good Lord! I'm so happy to see you! So? What's the verdict?" Mrs. Carter seemed genuinely relieved to see them both back.

"Broken. But no big damage," Tanya answered, her voice still sleepy.

"Thank God. I'm so glad to see you on your feet. Well... Sort of," she said, watching as Tanya struggled to handle the crutches properly.

"Shall I get you anything?"

Tanya looked around her, savoring the sight of the interior, the wooden furniture, the warm lights from the wall lamps, human beings around her. It was a relief to see after the long hours she had spent lying alone in the cold and the rain.

"I think a warm drink would be nice. Thanks a lot, Mrs. Carter."

"You're welcome, Dear."

"I'll take her to her room," MacGyver said, still holding Tanya by the waist.

"I'll bring you both a pot of hot milk and honey, how does that sound? Are you hungry?"

"Sounds good. I'm not really hungry though. Some milk will be just fine. Thank you," Tanya replied.

"I'll be right up."

She turned her toes.

"She sounds like my Mom," Tanya said as they were slowly climbing the stairs.

"Oh yeah?"

"Hmm..."

"Does she also prepare you a hot milk with honey?"

"She used to, when I was a kid. She died six years ago."

"I'm sorry."

"It's all right. I came to terms and accepted it a long time ago."

When they reached her room, MacGyver helped her to get comfortable on her bed.

"What about a shower?" he asked.

"Are you kidding? All I want right now is rest. Tomorrow... For now, I just wanna relax." Tanya tried to find a suitable way of resting against the pillows which Mac had fluffed up behind her back. "Mac?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you... I mean, could you stay with me a little?"

"Of course. " He sat by her side and took her hand. She was shivering and he wondered whether it was because of the turmoil she had gone through or the touch of his hand.

"I forgot to thank you for coming after me," she whispered, as she seemed to fall asleep again.

"Not necessary. I was worried sick when I didn't see you downstairs for supper."

"It was so stupid, really. Just because of that snake."

"What snake?" MacGyver frowned.

"I was climbing up a rocky slope and a little multi-colored snake appeared from a crack. I hate snakes and I jumped back. Too bad I lost my balance and fell all the way down the slope and got my foot trapped. Gee, I never thought I'd get outta there. It was cold and..."

She closed her eyes. A single tear rolled down her cheek. MacGyver saw she was making an enormous effort not to cry.

"Shhh... It's okay now. Just rest. I'm here. You're safe."

"Mac?"

"Yes."

"I think I need... a hug," she said in a whisper.

MacGyver smiled and lowered to take her in his arms. She stopped shivering after a few minutes, coiling up in his embrace.

"I was afraid I wasn't going to see you again," she whispered, without parting from him.

"Shhh, don't worry. I found you."

"I'm sorry."

"Why?"

"For causing you all this trouble."

MacGyver raised and looked her in the eyes.

"No trouble, trust me." He saw that she was holding something back. "What happened, Tanya?"

"Huh?"

"What the heck happened to you to make you come to such an isolated place? What are you trying to forget?"

"I... er... I'll tell you later. I'm so tired right now."

She closed her eyes and rested her head on the pillows. MacGyver didn't insist and remained at her side, her hand still in his.

_(tbc)_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

MacGyver slept very little that night, erery time he wope up, he felt a wave of fever mixed with nausea. Then his stomach calmed down. Moreover he kept thinking about Tanya. In the morning, however, his fever had gone as quickly as it had appeared and he promised himself once more he would not drink alcohol again. After a quick shower, he dressed and decided to check on Tanya.

He gently knocked at her door, which opened under the pressure. MacGyver felt a shivering sensation race down his spine. He cautiously opened the door completely and tried to figure out if the young woman was there.

"Tanya?" he called softly.

No answer. The room was empty, yet all her things were there.

He stepped in and immediately noticed the sheets on the floor, as if she had dragged - or _had been_dragged - from the bed. He looked around and didn't see anything that indicated a fight except for the night table lamp that had been knocked on the floor.

MacGyver quickly headed downstairs, but somehow, he already knew. He rushed outside and checked the perimeter in details, stopping when he found footprints in the mud, leading to a place where a car had parked. Among the prints, there was the irregular signature of a cast!

_So she could walk a bit when she was taken away_, he thought. _But __taken __where? Why?_

He rushed back in and searched for Mrs. Carter. He informed her of his findings and asked her to call the police. When she informed him that they couldn't do anything for twenty four hours, he ground his teeth. Twenty-four hours. It takes twenty-four hours before a person can be declared as missing. The evidence on the floor showing she had been forcefully abducted wasn't necessary. MacGyver told the landlord he would not wait that long.

When Gus showed up at the entrance, Mac asked whether the gardener had seen anything unusual.

"Nope. I got up as usual and came here for my first cup of coffee," the man said.

"What time was it?" MacGyver asked with impatience.

"A quarter to six. I always come at that time, long before the regular clients and even the early birds - come down for breakfast."

"And you didn't see anyone unusual hanging around?"

"No."

MacGyver headed again outside. The prints he had found were clear enough to infer what had happened. She'd been walking on her own, struggling perhaps, when her captors picked her up and carried her away. Besides her own footprints, there were two sets of larger ones, one on each side. They disappeared where the mud stopped and the gravel tire tracks, MacGyver was unable to guess what kind of vehicle the abductors had used.

When he turned and looked around at the scenery, he didn't notice the pair of eyes, staring at him from a hidden spot behind a bush, like the night before. The person was smiling contently, their satisifaction written all over their face.

Mrs. Carter joined him.

"I'm going to see the sheriff," he stated calmly, hiding his anxiety down deep inside.

"What are you going to tell him?"

"That she's been kidnapped."

"How can you be so sure?"

"It's obvious. Look at the tracks in the mud. Someone clearly carried her down here and forced her into a car."

"Who could do such a thing? And why?"

"That's what I need to find out," MacGyver turned to face the landlord. "Did she have an argument with anyone here?"

"What do you mean?" Mrs. Carter looked puzzled.

"It sounds improbable, but she may have had a dispute with one of the clients and... okay, this sounds rather weak, I guess. Did anyone check out in a hurry this morning?"

"No. All the clients are here for the rest of the week or longer. And I can assure you, I've known most of them for years as regular clients."

"I see."

"Have you seen anyone around you haven't seen before?"

"No. You know, Mr. MacGyver, this place is rather isolated, so it's easy to spot newcomers."

MacGyver frowned.

"Do you mind if I ask around? Perhaps someone has seen something unusual."

"I don't think you will find any answers. Most of the clients were still in their rooms when you came down."

"But... maybe someone heard the sound of the car, I don't know, perhaps..."

Mrs. Carter saw despair grow on his face. She understood he was running out of ideas.

"I'm going to see the sheriff," he stated with determination. "Maybe I can convince him to start his investigation immediately."

...

"So, what did he say?" Mrs. Carter asked when she saw MacGyver returning from the sheriff's office two hours later.

"He'll put an APB on her tonight," he replied. The lassitude was clear in his voice, but his body was restless.

"I see."

"I don't get it. She comes here for the first time, she doesn't know anyone and three days later she's kidnapped. It doesn't make any sense."

MacGyver was pacing in front of the entrance, unable to decide where to start first.

"Why don't you come and have a bite? You've been running all morning on an empty stomach."

"Nah... thanks, but I'm not really hungry."

"You may not, but your stomach is. C'mon," she replied in a firm voice, taking him by the arm.

He followed her, somehow reluctantly, to the restaurant where she served him a glass of hot milk. "I'm going to prepare some bacon and eggs, okay?"

"Don't bother. But thanks anyway."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." He was lost in his thoughts again, searching for a suitable explanation to what had happened.

...

He paced all afternoon like a lion trapped in a small cage. His fever returned and he laid down for a while to recover his strength. After half an hour of restless thinking, he took a quick shower and headed downstairs. Mrs. Carter was attending her guests in the restaurant. It was supper time. MacGyver walked towards her and waited until she finished serving her clients before intruding.

"Do you know where Gus is?" he asked.

"At his place, I guess.

"Where is that?"

"There is a separate little house down in the park. He lives there."

"Thanks."

He quickly headed outside and walked to Gus's place.

The gardener was attending a small rose bush in front of his he saw MacGyver, he stopped working and stood.

"Any news?" he asked, trying to sound comforting.

"No yet. Gus, may I ask you a few questions?"

"Sure. But I'm not sure I can help."

"Let's try anyway. I need to know what happened. Have you seen anyone new around lately, someone who never came up to the inn?"

Gus frowned. "No. All the people here are known clients, besides Ms. Giovanni of course."

"Sorry to ask again, but are you sure you didn't hear anything?" MacGyver asked knowing the answer already.

"No. I'm sorry."

"No car engine?"

"No. How do you know there was a car involved?"

"Because the footprints stop right at the gravel. This means they were taking her away by car."

"How can you be sure there were two persons with her?"

"Because there were two sets of footprints in addition to hers. They were large, most certainly those of two men."

"It doesn't make any sense; who would want to kidnap your friend? She seemed like a nice girl."

MacGyver frowned, not liking the way Gus spoke about Tanya in the past tense. He felt a wave of heat and wiped his forehead with his sleeve.

"You should take care of yourself, you look sick," Gus said.

"No. I'll deal with that later. It's probably just a cold."

"So? Who do you think might have taken Ms. Giovanni away?"

"I don't know, Gus. But I'll find out. She could have been taken anywhere."

Gus was staring over Mac's shoulder, and his face showed surprise for a few seconds.

"Any idea?" MacGyver asked again, seeing the expression on his face.

"Nah. It's just... I thought I had seen someone I know."

MacGyver swiftly turned to look in the same direction, but there was no one in sight.

"Who was that?" he asked.

"A young boy I haven't seen in a long time," Gus replied with a bit of sadness in his voice.

"Billie Wilkinson."

"Who's that?"

"A young boy who used to live in the city years ago. He moved to Denver and I haven't seen him since. Must be someone who looks like him."

MacGyver tried to think this new element over.

"Does he still have relatives in the area?"

"No. His parents were killed in a car accident and he was raised by his grandfather."

"Where is he now... I mean, his grandfather?" MacGyver asked, suddenly feeling this could lead him somewhere.

"He used to live in a remote cottage about ten miles from here."

"Used to?"

"Yeah, he died two years ago."

MacGyver frowned and started to feel discouraged. Another dead end, it seemed. Yet, something in his heart told him to go further in that direction.

"Could you give me the address of that cottage?"

"Why? No one lives there anymore."

"Just a hunch. I don't know where to start. I might as well check the immediate surroundings, until the sheriff issues the APB."

"You want to go to the old Wilkinson place? It's a spooky one."

MacGyver startled.

"Spooky? What do you mean _spooky_?"

"That's what the place has been called lately."

"Don't tell me you believe this place is... haunted!"

"No one knows."

"Hey, there are no such thing as ghosts, trust me on this."

"Maybe. But sometimes, hikers have reported seeing lights at night. But no one ever found traces of trespassers and the place is totally abandoned, falling in ruins. You know, old Wilkinson was alone in the world, except for Billie of course. And he never got over his wife's death. So he left the place unattended over the years. I guess that's why the young boy left to find a better life."

MacGyver sighed.

"Give me the address, please."

"You want to go there anyway?"

"I'm not afraid. There are no such thing as ghosts," he said again with a smile, remembering that's the exact thing he had said to Penny when they first visited the house she had inherited from her aunt.

Gus gave him the address and told him to be careful.

MacGyver went back to his room, took his jacket, his backpack and drove to the Wilkinson's.

...

Even with Gus's explanations, the house was hard to find, as it was set far from the road. He knew he had to park his jeep further down and walk the rest of the way up to the old house. Still, he missed the right path and had to turn back and start again. Finally, he saw the roof of an old house that was indeed in ruin. It was a two-floor house with a brown-tiled roof. Most of the blinders were gone, a few windows were shattered and it was almost impossible to guess what color the house could have been at one time.

He climbed the rest of the way cautiously, feeling his heartbeat accelerating. _There are no such thing as ghosts_, he repeated to himself, smiling again at the idea of seeing Penny Parker here. But his thoughts immediately turned to Tanya. He had to find someone who could help him locate his new friend.

...

The front door was open. MacGyver looked around him. No one was in sight.

"Hello?" He knocked on the door, before stepping in. "Is anyone there?"

No answer. He slowly progressed several steps inside. It was dusty all around, as if the house had been unattended for years. On his left was a kitchen with only a table and two chairs left. He checked the room on the right: an old couch was facing an open fire, still full of cold ashes and an unburned log. He decided to check upstairs and climbed the spiral stairs cautiously. He saw traces of footprints in the dust that had covered the steps over the years. Reaching the landing, he saw an open door to his left. When he approached it, he heard a faint sound behind him and froze. He listened carefully, holding his breath. Turning quickly on his heel expecting to see someone, he sighed in relief when he saw the corridor was he heard the sound again, as if someone was moaning.

He carefully made his way to the door in the right, peeped in the entrance and pushed the door open. The sight in front of him made him shiver and his heart skip a beat.

Tanya was lying on a bed on the opposite wall, apparently asleep, yet she was tossing restlessly as if she was fighting a bad dream.

He pushed the door wide open and rushed to her.

"Tanya!"

The moment he reached her, he heard a click behind him and froze.

_(TBC)_


	6. Chapter 6

_To Smiffy11052 and "the Gang", thanks for reading this. I hope you really like it. I'd love to see more comments, tho, as these are my daily vitamins. Here come ch6. Enjoy ^_^_

**Chapter 6**

The door closed behind him. He didn't give priority to it, anxious to check on Tanya first. She was alive and breathing normally. Her forehead was covered with sweat and her fists were grasping the sheets now and then.

"Tanya, wake up. It's me, MacGyver," he whispered, taking her hand and with the other caressing a lock of hair away from her face. "Tanya, please, open your eyes."

She slowly emerged from her nightmare, looking at him as if she didn't recognize him at first. Then she blinked several times and her eyes cleared.

"Mac?" she faintly whispered, a smile appearing on her face.

"Yep. I'm right here. Are you all right?"

She tried to sit up on the bed and needed help from Mac, she felt so weak.

"Wha... what happened?" She looked around her. "Where am I?"

"In an abandoned house, about twelve miles from the inn."

"How did I get here?"

"I don't know. All I know is you were missing this morning and I've been looking all over for you."

"What is this place?" She gave a good look around and then stared at MacGyver. "How did I get here?" She asked again, with fear in her voice. "Oh no!"

"What?"

"I ... I remember... I woke up a while ago and heard laughter. Then I fell asleep again, as if... "she breathed deeply, "as if I'd been drugged."

MacGyver pulled her sweater sleeves up and searched for a needle trace. There was none. He sighed in relief.

"Tanya," he explained as calmly as he could, "it seems you were kidnapped last night. My guess is two men transported you in a car and drove you here."

"But... why?"

"I have no idea. But I gotta get you outta here. C'mon."

He started to help her to her feet and then remembered having heard the door close behind him.

"Wait."

He went to the door and tried to open it, but there was no knob on his side. He studied the entryway trying to figure out what mechanism had triggered it to close. It seemed the door had been recently replaced. It was made of a stronger material than the rest of the place he'd seen while checking the other rooms.

"What's the matter?" Tanya asked, painfully walking to him.

"It seems the door is stuck."

"Stuck? What do you mean ... stuck?"

"There is no way to open it from the inside."

"You're kidding, right?"

"Let me think about it."

"Well, think fast," she returned to the bed and let herself slump on it.

He looked at her and frowned.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah... it's just that I'm... a bit claustrophobic."

He walked to her and took her hands in his.

"I'll find a way out of here, don't worry. Try to relax now, okay?" he said calmly.

"Okay."

...

Tanya looked at MacGyver as he was checking the door, trying to find a weakness in the mechanism. He was sweating and soon his shirt was wet. He had taken his jacket off half an hour ago and wasn't feeling any better. He drank several times from the tab above the little sink next to the window and splashed water on his face. He had hoped it would make him feel better, but after a while, he felt even worse. He sat on the bed, next to Tanya.

"I don't get it," he said.

"It's the only way out of this place," Tanya responded, putting a hand on his shoulder, "What about the window?" she asked.

MacGyver stood up and checked it.

"It's not very large. And there are bars. I would have to break at least one or two to enable us to get through."

He opened the window and tried to reach for one of the bars, but surprisingly, they had been installed far from the window pane. His reach was too short. All he could see outside was a cable hanging fro the roof, maybe an old TV antenna cable. He looked around in the room.

"What are you searching for?"

"A piece of ...something... I'd like to reach that cable outside."

He couldn't find anything. There was no chair to break, no piece of furniture other than the old bed. He regretted having decided not to wear a belt.

"What do you need?"

"A little piece of metal or wood, anything I could use to hook that cable in."

Tanya frowned. She reached beneath her sweater and unhooked her bra. She then reached with her right hand inside her left sleeve and took the first strap off down her arm and around her hand. Then she did the same on the other side.

She handed him her bra.

"Perhaps you can use this?"

"Do you know you have the weirdest ideas?"

"Hey, I know someone else whose mind is just as inventive," she smiled back.

After a few minutes, he managed to remove the armatures and link them together to create a hook. He tried again to reach the cable with his new tool. But the moment he reached it and pulled, he heard a crack and saw what was indeed an antenna fall from the roof. As he tried to hold to the cable, his right hand touched a bar. He felt a shock and automatically opened his hand. The cable disappeared down below.

"Ouch!"

"What?"

"It's electrified."

"What?"

"And the cable's gone. I don't believe this. Someone really wants to keep us trapped in here."

"This is insane!" Tanya shouted.

For the first time, MacGyver felt helpless... and a little sick again.

He sat on the bed. He closed his eyes. His breath was shallow. He felt hot.

"Why don't you lie down for a moment," Tanya suggested. She got up and tried to walk over to the sink to pour some water in one of the plastic cups she found in the sink. "Here, drink this."

"I definitely think it's the flu. I was trying to get rid of it, but ... I..."

He reached his forehead and wiped the sweat from it.

He drank from the plastic cup Tanya was handing him. And laid down on the pillow. After a couple of minutes, he seemed to be asleep. She quickly noticed he was passed out. He was shivering all over. Tanya put his jacket on his chest and looked at him. She saw the pain on his face and hoped he would be up and better soon.

"Don't worry," she whispered, "we'll find something."

After a few minutes, she heard him breathe regularly. There was nothing else she could do, so she laid down next to him and tried to get some sleep too.

...

She opened her eyes. She had rolled onto her right side while asleep and was now facing him. His face was more relaxed now. She closed her eyes for a moment and listened to the rain, gently hitting the window pane. The whole situation sounded so weird. Here she was, trapped in an old house, lost in the middle of God knows where, with a man she had met a few days ago. Yet, she didn't feel the panic she usually experienced when inside a small place. Somehow, his regular breathing at her side and the almost restful child expression on his face made her feel like she had nothing to fear. She extended a hand and wanted to touch his face, as if to make sure he was really there and she wasn't dreaming it all. She refrained. She closed her eyes again and tried to synchronize her breathing with his, resting her head on her folded arm.

There was no light in the room, but the moon rays were sweeping the floor. She extended her left hand and wanted to brush a hair lock away from his face but she refrained once more, as she didn't want to wake him up.

She rose on one elbow and went on looking at him. She could feel his warmth next to her, his presence, his strength, even if he had sounded pessimistic about their current situation.

Suddenly, his stomach started to grumble. She was hungry too. As if he had felt her thoughts, he opened his eyes, slowly.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi," he answered, his voice still a bit hoarse.

"Feeling better?"

"Yep. A little." He smiled, "What about you?"

"I'm fine."

She touched his cheek, briefly.

"Thanks to you."

She quickly stood up and limped to the window.

"Do you think someone will find us here?"

MacGyver sat up and perched on the edge for a moment.

"We won't wait for someone to find us," he replied as he joined her by the window. "I promise we'll find a way."

He put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently. She put her hand on his and squeezed back.

"Thanks," she whispered, "I'm glad I'm stuck here with you."

"What do you mean?"

"I could be stuck here alone."

"Oh, I see. Er... thanks."

She turned to face him and planted a quick kiss on his cheek.

"You're welcome," she replied with a genuine smile. "I'm so thirsty," she claimed, heading for the tab and pouring water.

"Stop!"

She startled.

"What?" She had dropped the cup in the sink.

"I think...that water is the only supply and neither of us have felt very good since we drank it."

She looked at the tab in disbelief.

"Do you think it's... poisoned?"

"Maybe not the way you think it is. But the one who has us trapped here may have spiked the water supply. Every time I drink the water, I start to feel sick again, and I'm beginning to think it has something to do with the water.'

"What are we gonna do then? Stuck here. No way out. No water. No food. Trapped like rats in an electrified maze! I gotta get outa here. Soon. I..."

She rushed to the door and banged with both hands. It was no use. She turned and saw his face. He was calm, yet frowning.

"Mac... I..."

He held her in his arms for a while.

"Shh, I'll get us out of here. I swear."

She parted from him and tried to assess whether he believed what he said or was just trying to be reassuring. She started to walk along the room, back and forth, stamping her feet from time to time.

"I wish I never came in this damn place!" she started to shout. "I don't wanna die in here! Who the hell did this... and why? This is insane!"

As she looked at Mac's face, she saw something she hadn't seen before. Like he knew.

"Mac," she asked, with apprehension in her voice, "Do you know who could do this?"

"I... perhaps. But, something's wrong."

"Yeah, definitely wrong. WE ARE TRAPPED HERE!" she shouted, full of anger. "Who did this? Tell me!"

"I know only one person sick enough to abduct people and organize such a kind of trap."

"Who?"

"Murdoc."

_(TBC)_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

MacGyver felt a deep shivering sensation running down his spine when pronouncing his old enemy's name.

"Who's this _Murdock_?"

"Someone I've been trying to forget for a long time."

"Then not a friend of yours, I presume." she snapped, with a trace of wicked irony in her voice.

"Not really."

"So, who is he?"

"An international hitman."

"What?"

"He belonged to a crime organization and ... let's say that our paths have crossed too many times over the years."

"And I guess he tried to kill _you, _right?" she asked, not really sure she wanted to hear the answer.

"Yes. He was good, extremely good at his job." he said very calmly.

"Obviously, not so good, you're still alive."

"Yeah, it made him mad, because I always managed to escape his maniac plans."

"What do you mean _maniac_?"

"He used to kidnap his victims and set up some theatrical set up." MacGyver frowned and looked around. "Somehow, I'm not even sure he's responsible for this. Something's missing."

"Like what?"

"Cameras."

"Huh? I don't get it."

"He used to film his victims. He also used to talk to them, telling them what would happen next. So far, he hasn't shown up, either way."

Tanya walked to the bed, but didn't sit. Instead, she let her body glide against it and ended up on the floor, her knees folded against her chest, as a protective armor. She started to cry, silently.

"Why me, then?" she sobbed.

MacGyver sat next to her and put an arm around her shoulder. The tears were now falling free down her cheeks.

"I... er... I guess he used you as a bait to get to me," he felt his heart filling with a nasty guilty feeling. "I'm so sorry, Tanya. I'll get you outa here safe. Trust me. I've always found a way."

"I don't wanna die here, because some nutcase seeks revenge on _you_!" She stood up and walked away from him. "I wish I'd never come here. I wish I'd never met YOU!"

MacGyver stood up and tried not to look at her. It was indeed his fault if they were here, trapped with no exit solution ... yet. He hadn't heard from Murdock in a long time, though. Two different feelings were fighting in his mind: Murdock might as well be responsible for this mascarade, yet he hadn't made contact, and this was the element which convinced MacGyver something was very wrong about the whole situation.

Tanya was pacing along the room and each time she was passing by him, she tried to ignore his apologizing expression. After several rounds in the small room, she finally stopped in front of him, breathing heavily.

"What do you plan to get us out of this nightmare?" she asked more brutally than she actually meant.

MacGyver only gave her another sorry look and felt a wave of heat reach his forehead again. He felt a drop of sweat running down his temple. He felt his shirt wet on his back. For the first time, he felt helpless. _Am I getting old, all of a sudden? C'mon, Mac, use your brains, that's what your're good at! You've been trapped in worse situations than this. What if she gets hurt in the process? What if the one who got us in here has the worst intentions ever? How can I protect her? I can't face it again. I don't wanna see her die in front of me like...Nicky. Oh man, when am I gonna get rid of this image in my head? I wish it never happened. There is no way I can let this happen to Tanya? Not again! C'mon, Mac, snap out of it and be ready. The lady here needs you, and she needs you NOW!_

"Hey, are you gonna find a way out or not?" she asked again, willing to sound more relaxed than she was.

"I... I don't know," he finally admitted.

"You don't know! Swell. Let me tell you something, _Mister_, you got me into this. Now you get me out. Do you hear me? I don't..."

She stopped, as she saw him close his eyes and raised his hands to his temples. Her heart seemed to skip a beat. She walked to him.

"Are you... all right?" she asked more kindly as she saw he was obviously in pain.

"I wish I... never mind. I'll think of a way out," he said as he closed his eyes again and breathed deeply.

She looked at him as he was trying to find a comfortable position on the lumpy bed. She then thought of the options they had tried. The door was impossible to unlock. There was no way through the window. Apart from that, there seemed there was no alternative. _How the heck did we get stuck in this place? Who is this Murdock? I sure don't wanna die here. Look at him, he seems so exhausted. Is it just the fever? Or the water? But if it's the water, how come I'm not as sick as he is. Maybe it's the flu. Maybe I didn't drink as much as he did. Maybe... Of shit, what the hell! Just look at him. He genuinely seems sorry about all this. But I saw something in his eyes, something he's holding back. C'mon Tanya, try to rest your mind. Dad used to say "when in trouble, breathe, clear your mind and figure out a positive solution in your mind, it will come sooner or later". Okay, Dad, sooner would be better, because I don't know how much more I can take._

She was so thirsty! But it was now obvious that their only water supply was no good at all. And she was starving too. She looked through the window. The only thing she could see was the forest behind the house. The trees were dripping after the last rain. She could only see a piece of sky, rather dark. She turned and saw that MacGyver was staring at her. She wanted to smile but inside she felt so angry and afraid at the same time that she preferred not to meet his eyes. She started to pace nervously again across the room, stopping to the door, up to the wall in front of her and back. When she had walked several times back and forth, she stopped in front of the bed.

"I want to get out. I hate this!" she shouted as she started stomping with her valid foot.

"Wait!" MacGyver reacted suddenly, raising from the bed.

"What? Why should we wait? I need to get out of here!"

He came close to her and hit the floor several times with his foot.

"What are you doing?" she asked, quite surprised.

"Did you hear that?" he asked as he hit the ground again.

"What am I supposed to hear?"

"The sound is different, like it's hollow."

He took his Swiss army knife from his pocket and tried to insert the larger blade between two wooden planks. After several unsuccessful attempts, he managed to brake a piece of wood, which enabled him to put two fingers in the open space and tried to pull one plank. Tanya located the hook he had made with her bra's amatures and gave it to Mac.

"Would this help?"

"Yeah, thanks."

Finally the first plank gave up and broke in two. He removed two more.

"Look at this!"

She came close and looked below. There was a stone staircase going down.

"Where do you think this leads?"

"There's only one way to find out," he replied, as he started to walk down. As she was on his heels, he stopped and turned to face her.

"I think you should stay here while I check what's down there."

"No way! I've had enough of this place and ... I prefer to stay with you."

"Stay close to me then and be careful."

They progressed slowly, one step at a time, it was dark. MacGyver had taken a match from his jacket pocket and used a piece of plank as a pitiful torch. The wood was burning slow and the light emanating from it was almost too faint for them to make their way down.

When they reached the last step, MacGyver stopped, his mouth open in amazement.

"Would you look at this!"

They seemed to have ended up in what looked like a laboratory. There were shelves everywhere and on some of them, there were lots of bottles, some empty, some half full. MacGyver quickly found an old oil lamp which he carefully lit. Suddenly the cave looked like a wonders cavern to him.

"Christmas!" he exclaimed.

"What?" Tanya looked at him with wide eyes.

"I bet we'll find something here to help us escape."

"I'm not sure about this. The window is electrified and the door seems too ..."

"Shhh!" he gently ordered her, putting a hand on her arm.

"What now?"

"Can you feel it?"

She remained motionless. And felt it. A weak draught was coming from the other side of the lab. Some fresh air.

"Yeah, I can feel it," she said, her voice suddenly full of hope, and started to walk to the back door.

"Be careful, there might be another trap there too," he warned her, walking ahead of her.

He slowly opened the door. He saw a tunnel and a faint light at the end of it. They progressed carefully and stopped in front of a large wrought iron gate. MacGyver tried to open it. It was locked. He looked all around, I search of a key. None, of course.

"Swell!" he groused. He found a metal bar on the floor and tried to use it as a crawbar. After several attempts, he gave up, the metal was just too hard to break.

Tanya sighed.

"Don't worry," MacGyver said, smiling at her, "I'll think of something. Back there I guess I can find all I need to open it, let's go back," he said with an encouraging tone.

He turned and headed back to the lab.

"I'm not sure you'll find the key in there."

"I was not thinking of a key," he said with a wink.

They walked back. When they almost reached the lab, they both stopped, alerted by a strange smell. There was a bit of smoke in the stairs leading to the ground floor.

"What the heck?" He rushed to the stairs to check where the smoke was coming from and closed the door in a rush. The heat up there was propagating down already.

"What?" cried Tanya.

"Fire!"

"What do you mean, fire?" She looked more than frightened.

"The ground floor is on fire."

"How..."

"Someone must have started it when we came here."

"You mean, that _Murdock_?"

"I don't know... and right now, I don't care, we've got to get out of here. And the only exit is the gate, we don't have a choice now. We're trapped."

_(TBC)_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

He frantically searched everywhere, checked every pot and bottle, smelled their content, sometimes making a face when the smell was too strong. Tanya looked at him. He was looking like a kid going through his newly-offered outfit of the "perfect chemist". He put a few items on the counter next to the back door.

"Do you think this will be useful," she asked, pointing at the bottles he had displayed.

"Well, er... I'm never sure when I start, but usually it works. Could you hold this for me, please?"

He gave her the rope and several bottles to Tanya. He took several ingredients and turned to her.

"Okay, let's go," he encouraged her to follow, before he closed the back door. "I don't think the doors will hold the fire for very long."

"And then what?"

He was making a face, holding something back.

"And then what?" she repeated in a panic.

"The lab is full of chemicals. If the fire reaches this place, we're gonna have a ringside view to the big fireworks." Though he tried to keep his voice calm and low, she felt their situation was more than critical.

"Oh my God!"

Tanya started to shiver and froze where she was. MacGyver turned and looked her in the eye.

"Tanya, c'mon, I need you with this," he said to keep her mind away from the immediate danger, even though he knew he could do it by himself.

She followed, not so reluctantly, as the smell of the fire was coming through and progressed in the tunnel.

They put all the items in front of the gate and Tanya observed Mac putting them together.

He poured different ingredients in the bottles and started to connect them with the rope keeping enough space in between so that they would not touch each other… yet. The whole final ensemble looked like a weird heavy tinsel. He found a way to attach the whole thing to the ceiling, so that the first bottle next to the gate was at a distance of about 3 feet, and the one right next on the tinsel also. He stepped away as far as he could and called Tanya to join him.

They tried to hide behind several cases which he hoped would serve as an armour, to protect them from the explosion debris.

"This is it!"

He felt a quick kiss on his cheek and looked at the young girl, smiling beside him.

"For luck," she simply said.

He smiled and squeezed his arm around her shoulder, pulling her head against his chest and covering her with his other arm. Time stopped.

He pulled the rope at his end and waited to hear the last two bottles bang against each other. They waited for the explosion. She felt like she had counted for an eternity until a big bang resonated in the cave. The smoke from the blast met the smoke coming from the lab where the flames started to eat everything on their path.

"Stay here."

MacGyver rushed to the gate and dissipated the smoke with wide arm movements. He saw that two bars had been sufficiently damaged and gave strong kicks to bend them some more to the outside.

"C'mon!" he shouted.

Tanya walked as fast as she could on her cast and looked at the hole in the gate. MacGyver helped her crawl on the floor and she pulled herself painfully, pushing with her valid foot, holding to the dirt with her nails. When she was out, she took a deep breath and turned around. MacGyver felt the acid smell of what was burning behind him in the lab and started to crawl out. Tanya frowned as he suddenly stopped. The back of his jacket was stuck on a metal splinter. She kneeled down and helped him to get free. She was pulling him by the arms and started to panic when she saw the glow of the flames reaching the tunnel.

"Quick!" she shouted.

MacGyver managed to crawl the rest of the way to the open air. It started to rain again. They stood up and held each other for a few seconds before MacGyver took her by the arm and forced her to almost run to the woods. They had hardly reached cover behind a tree when they heard a big blast behind them. The whole lab had exploded, projecting a heavy and prickly smoke outside the tunnel.

"We can't stay here. C'mon."

She tried to stand up but her legs were shaking, like the rest of her body and she collapsed where she was, shivering all over.

"I can't." she whispered, out of breath, out of strength.

"Tanya, it's over, we're safe now, but we can't stay here."

"I just... need a minute," she gasped, trying to catch her breath.

"We need to get back to the car and warn the authorities."

"About that Murdock of yours?"

"Nah. I don't think this is Murdock's work. The more I think of it, the more I believe he would have shown up one moment or another."

"But, if it isn't him, who do you think wanted to trap you in?"

"I don't know. But it's not a good idea to discuss this now. C'mon. Here, let me help you," he grabbed her arm and gently forced her on her feet.

They walked around the place, heading for MacGyver's car. When she was all set on the passenger's seat, he sat behind the wheel and tried to start the engine. Without success. After a couple more tries, he stepped out and checked under the hood.

"Swell!" he groaned.

"What now?"

"The car's dead. We'll have to walk."

"That means-" she started to say, looking around with a frightful look.

"Yeah, that means whoever is responsible for this may still be around."

"Mac! What if he saw us getting out of the lab alive?"

"One more reason to take cover quickly and find a safe way back to the inn."

They got back to the woods, where they could hide and started their long walking journey down the valley to the inn. Their cloths were soaked and the progression was made more difficult because of Tanya's handicap. Nevertheless, they progressed in silence. MacGyver was holding the young woman's hand to help her keep her balance where the terrain was insecure. After a couple of hours, she simply collapsed on the floor, breathing heavily. MacGyver sat next to her and put an arm around her shoulder to comfort her.

"You're doing great, Tanya."

"Compared to what?" she snapped back, a bit ironically.

"Hey, this looked like a no-win situation, but we made it out alive and now we're gonna get back to the inn, get a good shower, eat something-"

"Geez, I'm so hungry!"

"Yeah, me too."

"But I don't think room service will extend up here, so we gotta move on."

He granted her a few minutes to catch her breath and helped her up again. The rain was falling heavily now, nevertheless they had to walk slowly as the path was slippery. When MacGyver saw a wooden structure, he felt a big wave of relief. He pointed in that direction and saw Tanya's expression change from despair to contentment.

...

It was a small construction, most probably formally equipped for hikers to have rest during their trip in the area. Though the furniture was reduced to a mere wooden bench, they felt as if they had registered in a luxury place, as it kept them safe from the wind and rain and it had opened windows. The draught whistling through them was like a sweet song compared to the heavy silence they had endured during the last forty-eight hours.

Tanya collapsed on the bench and embraced herself, shivering from the cold. MacGyver looked at his jacket and then at Tanya. She smiled as she understood.

"If only we could build up a little fire in here."

"Too bad I used my last matches in the tunnel."

They laughed slightly, just savoring their new freedom.

He sat next to her. "We'll wait until the rain stops." He felt his remark rather silly, but he just meant to comfort her any way he could think of.

"I'm so starving."

"So am I."

"When we're back at the inn, I'll reward myself with a large steak, and potatoes and... perhaps an enormous chocolate mousse."

MacGyver smiled at that. To see she was thinking of something as positive as the food she wanted to eat was a sign she felt a bit more relaxed. Even if he could still read traces of fear and pain in her eyes.

"Why don't you lie down and try to rest?"

He stood up and let her use the bench. He sat on the floor, next to her. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply a couple of times. Before she felt the first sign of sleep crawling in her body, she took Mac's hand and squeezed it gently.

After a few minutes, he heard her regular breathing and tried to rest too.

...

They woke up with a start when they heard voices in the immediate surroundings. The rain has ceased and the skies were clear. Mac stood up and, without a sound, approached the window carefully, hiding behind the wall, not to be spotted.

Tanya remained still. MacGyver was cautiously searching the area outside. When he finally saw who was speaking, he turned to Tanya and showed two fingers, indicating the numbers of people he had seen. Tanya joined him, making sure she was not visible from the window. She was standing behind Mac, looked over his shoulder... and froze.

She startled and stepped back against the wall.

"No!" she whispered in an almost inaudible voice.

MacGyver looked at her. Then again outside. He hardly could make it but what he heard convinced him once and for all he hadn't been the target after all. She was. From the look on her face, it seemed more than prudent not to reveal their presence to the people outside.

When they were finally gone, he looked at her. Tanya's face was very pale. She was frowning, closing her eyes now and then, and nodding as if she refused to believe what she has just seen.

She walked back to the bench.

"No, this can't be," she whispered, more to herself than to Mac.

"Do you know these guys?"

"One of them... yes. And I never thought I would see him again."

"What happened?" he asked, as he sat next to her, brushing a lock from her forehead.

The look she gave him contained so much at once that he couldn't make what it was really. Was it fear? Anger?

"Tell me what happened?" he encouraged her to let go.

(TBC)


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 8**

Tanya tried to catch her breath, but the memories had been rushing back with such intensity that she thought she was going to pass out.

MacGyver remained silent for a long while. He was looking at Tanya, and then again to the two turning away from the refuge.

*/*/*

"I think they're done!" said one.

"What do you mean 'they'?" asked the other one.

"The woman…and the man who joined her."

"You mean… she was not alone?"

"Nah… but I don't care. She's history, once and for all."

"You were supposed to keep her locked for a long while. What did you do?"

"What I had to do. She's been acting like she was innocent for too long."

"Don't tell me… she's…"

"She's history, period. Cooked, fried like a chicken. C'mon now. By the time anyone is aware that old spooky house is burned to the ground, I'll be far away, and at peace, at last."

The one who just talked grabbed the arm of his friend. They left without another look behind them.

*/*/*

When they were far enough, MacGyver turned to Tanya. Her face was very pale and she found it hard to breathe.

"Please, tell me what happened?" he encouraged her again, speaking softly.

Tanya was staring in front of her, looking at nothing in particular, but she seemed to view something horrible.

MacGyver put an arm around her shoulders and Tanya let her head rest on his. He caressed her hair in slow gentle motions. Waiting for her to be ready to talk.

After a few minutes, she parted from him, stood up and walked to the window. She took a few deep breaths and turned to face him.

"I… I never thought I'd see him again."

"Who is he?" MacGyver asked in a low voice.

"Billy Wilkinson."

"You seem to know him quite well."

"Yes, I do. He was… he was part of a group of students I was taking care a while ago."

"Yeah, I remember you told me you used to teach to older ones before. Was he in your class?"

"Yes, he was. It was a difficult class. Several boys and girls there were tough; ready to fight for any reason. Billy was the leader and always prompt to start an argument. I was trying to cope with their attitude but I couldn't find a way to reach their heart."

MacGyver refrained from speaking now that he felt Tanya was ready to let it all out.

"One day, I decided to take the whole class to a ramble in the mountains. I knew the path like the back of my hand and knew some passages demanded attention. The kids were old enough to be able to walk the whole way without any problem, but of course, Billy found a way to ruin the day. He started a fight with another boy."

She stopped talking and breathed heavily. MacGyver put a hand on hers, but said nothing. She was looking so desperate. Suddenly, he raised the other hand and gently brushed a tear from her cheek.

"I'm sorry, it's just that…"

"I'm sure you don't have to be. Tell me what happened."

"Billy started to fight with another boy; his girlfriend wanted to separate them and grabbed Billy from behind. I thought I could stopped them from hitting each other by standing in between and reasoned them. That's when… it happened."

Tanya choked on the last words.

"At that moment, we were close to a cliff. Normally, there wouldn't have been any problem walking along the path. But that fight degenerated, and when Billy saw me trying to stop the fight, he tried to hit me as well. I raised an arm to protect my face. His girlfriend tried to pull him away, but he was so enraged that he shook her away. She… she fell backwards, too close from the edge. She… oh my God. I'm so sorry, there was nothing we could do."

"She… fell?" softly asked MacGyver.

"Yes. Oh, MacGyver, I'm so sorry. I tried to reach for her, but her hand slipped from mine and… oh Mac, I'm so sorry, she… she died."

Tanya started to cry, in silence, letting go all the pain she had been holding within.

MacGyver held her close to him and waited until the shaking decreased.

When she looked at him again, it seemed she was looking for absolution, forgiveness, knowing she would never find peace of heart until she accepted she was not guilty.

MacGyver's words were what she needed to hear, yet she found it hard to trust them completely.

"Tanya, it was not your fault. You know that. Billy involuntarily pushed back his girlfriend while she was trying to help, she lost balance, she fell. There was nothing you could do. Billy is responsible for her death, not you, Tanya."

"But I was holding her hand, I tried to pull her, I tried so hard."

"I know. I'm sure you did."

Tanya found it hard to swallow, tried to dry the tears on her face.

"But Billy has accused ME!"

"Was there a police investigation?"

"Yes, there was. They came to the conclusion it was just an accident. But Billy never bought that version and swore in private he would make me pay some day. Seems he found a way, finally."

"We should go back to the inn and warned the authorities."

"It will take ages with my broken ankle"

"Never mind. If I'm right, Billy thinks the house burned down with everyone trapped in it. This should give us some time."

*/*/*

When they finally reached the inn, after long hours of painful walking in the woods, Tanya was completely exhausted. MacGyver had decided to discreetly enter the inn at sunset, to avoid any encounter he wasn't prepared for.

He decided they should wait until darkness had surrounded the inn before they could silently go to Tanya's room, install her comfortably on her bed so that she could have a decent rest and call the police from her room.

Mrs Carter was indeed a very attentive woman. Before going to bed, she filed a few papers at the desk and immediately noticed that the key to MaGyver's room was missing from the board. She climbed and discreetly knocked on his door.

"Hi, Mrs Carter. C'mon in."

She stepped in the room and saw Tanya, sitting on one side of the bed.

"Geez, Mrs Giovanni, I'm so relieved to see you. Are you OK? Mr MacGyver here was worried sick when you disappeared. We called the police, Gus tried to assist us. Then Mr MacGyver disappeared for a while. My God, what happened to you both?

It seemed she never caught her breath between sentences.

Mac smiled. Then he frowned and started to explain how and where he found the young woman who was about to collapse, completely out of strength.

"So you think the young Billy is really involved?" Mrs Carter asked.

"It's more than obvious that he was responsible for all this." Mac replied.

"We have to call the Sheriff and tell him you found her and who's behind this kidnapping."

"Please, Mrs Carter, I'd prefer to wait a couple of hours; Tanya needs to rest and besides, Billy thinks he succeeded."

"But he could run away and disappear!"

"Not if he thinks no one can identify him for what he is."

Mrs Carter thought about this and sighed.

"I think you should have him arrested at once. But it's your choice."

"Trust me, we'll get him. Could you have him come here for whatever reason?"

"I guess so."

"Good, I'll call the Sheriff again so that he can be there roughly at the same time."

"Do you think it'll work?"

"Yes."

*/*/*

Mac hoped that Mrs Carter was really on their side and not warn Billy. If not, Tanya could charge Billy anyway. She had identified him and they both had heard what he said to him friend.

When Billy showed up later on, there was a lazy smile on his face. Mrs Carter tried to keep him inside the inn as long as she could, but she sensed Billy was willing to be somewhere else. He was about to say goodbye, when the Sheriff arrived and headed straight to the young boy.

"Hi Sheriff!" exclaimed Billy, as he hadn't seen the police enforcer for a long while.

"Hi Billy. What's up?"

"Nothing, Sir. Everything's peachy." Billy sounded almost arrogant.

"Nice to hear."

Billy was heading to the exit when he saw MacGyver walking down the stairs. Billy hardly managed to hide his surprise, seeing the man was alive. But he opened his mouth in stupefaction when he discovered Tanya was following, walking slower because of the cast.

"What's the matter, Billy?" asked the Sheriff. "Seems you've just seen a ghost."

"Er… I… it can't…"

"It can't be true, right?" asked MacGyver.

Billy tried to pull himself together again, but the harm was done.

He frowned, his eyes squinted and all they could see on his face was the measure of his hatred.

"You have nothing against me." Billy stated, with such assurance it sounded pitiful to Tanya.

"Who says we have?" the Sheriff asked.

"I do!" Tanya said, with all the assurance she could.

Billy stared at her, defying her. The sheriff turned to Tanya.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Billy kidnapped her and held her prisoner at the old Wilkinson's. When I found her, he locked me too and then set fire to the place. We were lucky to get out of there on time, but it was a close call."

"Prove it!" Billy threatened them, his chin raised in a defying posture.

"I heard you confess to that friend of yours, just a couple of hours ago." Tanya said. "And I know why you did it! I'm not responsible for your girlfriend's accident, and you know it, you've known it all along, but you needed a revenge, whatever the cost."

"That's not true!"

"It is. I heard you too."

Billy tried to run away, but the Sheriff grabbed his arm.

"That's enough. You'll come with me, and we'll get to the bottom of this.

"I'm so thankful to you, Mac. Without you, I'd be history by now. How could I ever show my gratitude to you?"

"I have an idea. Yet, I don't know whether you'd be ready yet."

Tanya smiled at Mac.

There had been a hearing and Billy had finally cracked up.

*/*/*

MacGyver had proposed Tanya to accompany him and visit the Phoenix Foundation. She met Pete and later on, MacGyver introduced her to Cynthia Wilson. It didn't take long for Tanya and Cynthia to discuss openly about their respective experience with youngsters.

At one point, Cynthia mentioned the fact she was short on personnel to supervise the growing population of young ones in trouble.

"Tanya, Mac said you were once involved with young offenders."

"Well, not really offenders, but …in fact…"

"I desperately need someone to assist me for a few months, even more, if affinity. What would you say if I offered you a contract to work here for a while?" Cynthia said; calmly, with a smile on her face. "Mac told me you'd be up to it."

Tanya looked at Mac and saw a charming smile on his face.

"He did, didn't he?"

MacGyver didn't reply. He raised his shoulders, palms up, with a shy smile on his face.

Tanya gave him a friendly open smile back.

"I guess I could. Just give me a couple weeks to fully recover and … find a place to stay."

Now MacGyver was all smiles.

"I could help you with that!"

"I don't doubt it. You're pretty gifted, I'm sure we can work on something."

"Great! It's settled then."

"In the meantime, you could teach me a few things."

"Like what?"

"Like how you turn to the minute-solution man in every situation. That could be useful for me… on my future job." She smiled.

THE END

_It certainly is not my best fic, from far. I wrote this fast a long time ago and I'm not too happy about it, but I had to post it anyway, instead of leaving in die in a drawer. Perhaps one day, if I find the time, I'll work on it again. Please show some mercy ^_^_


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